HP Z3200- to ps or not to ps

[AlexF]

Hi,
I am going to buy a new printer soon and have my eyes set on a HP Z3200 44". I still have to decide if I need the ps version and appreciate any input I can get.
I will use the printer exclusively for photo printing and maybe some fine art in the years to come, but I have no plans to print InDesign or PDF documents. I will mainly print from Photoshop, both from PC and from Mac. I will print panoramas, and these can exeed 4 meters (about 12 feet) length.
I think I might need the ps version just to be able to print long panos, but is there any other reason I should get it? I know, if I had the money to spend... but here in Germany it is still about 1000$ difference between the two models and there is a lot of ink I can buy for 1000 $.


And another thing. Does anybody know why European prices are so much higher than the US prices? The sugg. retail for the Z3200ps 44" is 8000.- Euro, which is about 11.200.- US$, depending on the exchange rate. This is a little more than the 6.800 US$ HP charges in the States. (the Z3200 44" is about 9300 US$, the 24" 5500,- US$ and the ps 24" about 7300 US$) HP is offering a trade-in program and currently has a promotional price and some rebate on inks and so, but it is still a huge difference.


many thanks,
Alex

[Ernst Dinkla]

Hi,
I am going to buy a new printer soon and have my eyes set on a HP Z3200 44". I still have to decide if I need the ps version and appreciate any input I can get.
I will use the printer exclusively for photo printing and maybe some fine art in the years to come, but I have no plans to print InDesign or PDF documents. I will mainly print from Photoshop, both from PC and from Mac. I will print panoramas, and these can exeed 4 meters (about 12 feet) length.
I think I might need the ps version just to be able to print long panos, but is there any other reason I should get it? I know, if I had the money to spend... but here in Germany it is still about 1000$ difference between the two models and there is a lot of ink I can buy for 1000 $.


And another thing. Does anybody know why European prices are so much higher than the US prices? The sugg. retail for the Z3200ps 44" is 8000.- Euro, which is about 11.200.- US$, depending on the exchange rate. This is a little more than the 6.800 US$ HP charges in the States. (the Z3200 44" is about 9300 US$, the 24" 5500,- US$ and the ps 24" about 7300 US$) HP is offering a trade-in program and currently has a promotional price and some rebate on inks and so, but it is still a huge difference.


many thanks,
Alex

Alex,

Your German Preisroboter tells me that a Z3200 44" can be ordered for less than 4300 Euro including Mwst and transport. That is 6450,- $ at next week's valuta ratio. The main difference in pricing to the US is the 19% BTW Mwst though some US states have a tax as well. The rest is HP company policy and not that bad if compared to Epson practice now and in the past. There have been or still are HP exchange programs where you can give the serial number of your old wide format to get a substantial price reduction. Not all box shifters will be eager to do that for you.

The 44"Z3200-PS at 5500 Euro incl Mwst + versand which would make it 8000 $:
http://www.mzehn.de/eshop.php?action=artic...12&rid=ciao
But check whether this is a genuine PS model, it could be a mistake.

The optional HPGL-2 driver should take care of panorama printing if the plain Z3200 doesn't do it by itself, my Z3200-PS does that by itself, the older plain Z3100 didn't.. Someone else may be able to answer that. The PS deal also includes the APS software + an (HP) Eye One Display II for monitor calibration + profiling that acts like a dongle for the software too. APS still has some other advantages compared to the integrated Color Center profiling software like profiling other printers with the Z or exporting measurements to other profiling software. The profiles can be edited. The integrated profiling software improved a lot though if compared to the Z3100 version.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[Ryan Grayley]

The optional HPGL-2 driver should take care of panorama printing if the plain Z3200 doesn't do it by itself, my Z3200-PS does that by itself, the older plain Z3100 didn't.. Someone else may be able to answer that. The PS deal also includes the APS software + an (HP) Eye One Display II for monitor calibration + profiling that acts like a dongle for the software too. APS still has some other advantages compared to the integrated Color Center profiling software like profiling other printers with the Z or exporting measurements to other profiling software. The profiles can be edited. The integrated profiling software improved a lot though if compared to the Z3100 version.

What is the optional HPGL-2 driver? Can I add this to my standard Z3200 and if so what are the benefits?
Cheers

[Ernst Dinkla]

What is the optional HPGL-2 driver? Can I add this to my standard Z3200 and if so what are the benefits?
Cheers

There have been several reports that the plain Z3100 (and most likely the plain Z3200) can not go beyond 275 cm print lengths while others reported other results. The usual Qimage Poster/Stitching trick doesn't work with HP drivers so that is not a solution for this issue. A thread on the old Qimage mailing list gave a solution for one user though with the HPGL2 driver:

>>
Success!  Using the Z3100 HPGL2 driver I was able to print out a
3'x17' panorama using Qimage and it looks great.  The driver offers a
maximum of 91 meters -- I didnt test it, but I suspect it may be
correct.

The next thing I want to test is Mike's suggestion of cutting up
gigapixel images in photoshop and then reassembling them in Qimage as
separate images printed on the same page.  This is different than the
banner trick where Qimage cuts the image and tries to avoid the page
break (which doesnt work with the Z3100).  So if this new technique
works, I dont see that there is anything standing in the way of
printing a 10,000 x 100,000 gigapixel image, or even larger, using
Qimage.

Cheers,
Matt
<<

There have been more threads on this subject here.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[AlexF]

Alex,

Your German Preisroboter tells me that a Z3200 44" can be ordered for less than 4300 Euro including Mwst and transport. That is 6450,- $ at next week's valuta ratio. The main difference in pricing to the US is the 19% BTW Mwst though some US states have a tax as well. The rest is HP company policy and not that bad if compared to Epson practice now and in the past. There have been or still are HP exchange programs where you can give the serial number of your old wide format to get a substantial price reduction. Not all box shifters will be eager to do that for you.

The 44"Z3200-PS at 5500 Euro incl Mwst + versand which would make it 8000 $:
http://www.mzehn.de/eshop.php?action=artic...12&rid=ciao
But check whether this is a genuine PS model, it could be a mistake.

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

Hi,

thanks for the links to the price robot, but I was comparing the suggested retail as listed on the HP website. I think that is the only real price you can compare as there are always discounts to be found. But even if the discounts here in Germany add up to 40%, I still have to pay what colleagues in the US pay without discount at all, and I assume you can get similar discount deals over there.  
And as far as I checked the HP website, the suggested price for the Netherlands is even higher, the Z3200ps 44" goes for 9.750 Euro excl. tax.

cheers,
Alex

[Ernst Dinkla]

And as far as I checked the HP website, the suggested price for the Netherlands is even higher, the Z3200ps 44" goes for 9.750 Euro excl. tax.

cheers,
Alex

True, that is why I always check the German prices with Preisroboter and never check the recommended price.

That price you quoted isn't what I see in mailings from Dutch suppliers and you have seen the same difference for Germany.



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[tonywong]

Alex,

Your German Preisroboter tells me that a Z3200 44" can be ordered for less than 4300 Euro including Mwst and transport. That is 6450,- $ at next week's valuta ratio. The main difference in pricing to the US is the 19% BTW Mwst though some US states have a tax as well. The rest is HP company policy and not that bad if compared to Epson practice now and in the past. There have been or still are HP exchange programs where you can give the serial number of your old wide format to get a substantial price reduction. Not all box shifters will be eager to do that for you.

The 44"Z3200-PS at 5500 Euro incl Mwst + versand which would make it 8000 $:
http://www.mzehn.de/eshop.php?action=artic...12&rid=ciao
But check whether this is a genuine PS model, it could be a mistake.

The optional HPGL-2 driver should take care of panorama printing if the plain Z3200 doesn't do it by itself, my Z3200-PS does that by itself, the older plain Z3100 didn't.. Someone else may be able to answer that. The PS deal also includes the APS software + an (HP) Eye One Display II for monitor calibration + profiling that acts like a dongle for the software too. APS still has some other advantages compared to the integrated Color Center profiling software like profiling other printers with the Z or exporting measurements to other profiling software. The profiles can be edited. The integrated profiling software improved a lot though if compared to the Z3100 version.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

Ernst, just wondering if your Z3200PS included GL/2 language support or if it was included like the Z3100PS GP did. These pdfs imply that a bunch of printing languages are optional now (technical specs -> print languages)?
http://www.neolt.it/pdf/DesignjetZ3100_en.pdf
http://www.dpsb.co.uk/upload/HP_z3200.pdf

Kind of confusing since the Z3100 Photo didn't include job submission, nesting, queuing, and permanent storage of files unless you got the PS GP model, but the Z3200 Photo looks like it does?

For what it's worth, I'm extremely happy with my Z3100PS GP. It came with all the bells and whistles but I never would have been able to afford it if there wasn't that ridiculous sale in Canada a couple of years ago. The extra features have all come in handy as I've learned more about the printer over time.

[Ernst Dinkla]

Ernst, just wondering if your Z3200PS included GL/2 language support or if it was included like the Z3100PS GP did. These pdfs imply that a bunch of printing languages are optional now (technical specs -> print languages)?
http://www.neolt.it/pdf/DesignjetZ3100_en.pdf
http://www.dpsb.co.uk/upload/HP_z3200.pdf

Kind of confusing since the Z3100 Photo didn't include job submission, nesting, queuing, and permanent storage of files unless you got the PS GP model, but the Z3200 Photo looks like it does?

The problem is that I can only answer about differences between the Z3200-PS and the plain Z3100.
Someone suggested that the PS models have GL/2 aboard but there is no driver like that included nor did I try to get one as I have no use for it. The printer does 5 meter lengths at least so I'm satisfied.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/